1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cooling system for an electronic cartridge.
2. Background Information
Integrated circuits are typically assembled into packages that are mounted to a printed circuit board. The printed circuit board may contain a connector which mates with a corresponding connector of a motherboard. The connectors electrically couple the circuit board and accompanying integrated circuits to the motherboard. The printed circuit board may also have a heat sink to facilitate the removal of heat generated by the integrated circuits.
FIG. 1 shows an electronic assembly which includes a single fan 1 that is attached to a heat sink 2. The heat sink 2 is mounted to an electronic cartridge 3. The cartridge 3 may contain a number of integrated circuit packages (not shown) that are mounted to a printed circuit board (not shown). The integrated circuit packages are also thermally coupled to the heat sink 2 so that heat generated by the circuits flows into the sink 2. The fan 1 induces an air flow which increases the heat transfer rate from the heat sink 2 to the ambient. The increase in heat transfer rate lowers the junction temperatures of the integrated circuits.
Using a single fan may create a dead air zone 4 underneath the fan hub. The dead air zone has a relatively low level of air flow that may create a "hot spot" on the cartridge. The dead air zone may be located on an area of the cartridge that generates a large amount of heat. For example, the hot spot may be located adjacent to a high powered integrated circuit such as a microprocessor. It would be desirable to provide an electronic assembly which contains a fan that does not create a dead zone of air.